WWE SmackDown live results: Drew McIntyre returns
On the final SmackDown of 2025 — and the final two-hour edition before a return to three hours starting next week — Drew McIntyre makes his return to SmackDown to address being granted another WWE Championship shot against Cody Rhodes. We’ll find out more information about that upcoming title bout tonight.
Joe Hendry makes his official SmackDown debut tonight when he faces The Miz in one-on-one action. Miz took exception to Hendry and R-Truth attacking him at Saturday Night’s Main Event and is looking to spoil the debut of Hendry.
The United States Championship open challenge continues on as Ilja Dragunov is set to take on a mystery foe after he and Carmelo Hayes dispatched #DIY in short order last week.
Tonight’s show was taped last Friday at Van Andel Arena in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Full spoilers can be found here.
Join us for live coverage starting at 8 p.m. Eastern time.
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– Previously on SmackDown: Cody Rhodes addressed the Drew McIntyre situation and declared himself “the law”, much to the chagrin of Nick Aldis.
– Following that, we saw Rhodes being confronted by Nick Aldis, who reminded him if McIntyre issued the apology to referee Dan Engler and paid the fine, Rhodes cannot touch him or he’d be stripped of his Undisputed WWE Title. After Rhodes left, The Miz angrily demanded that Joe Hendry’s music not be played. However, just as Aldis said his name, the ever-infectious music of Mr. Hendry hit and we cut to the ring.
Joe Hendry arrives on SmackDown
In the ring, Hendry was with people dressed as Santa (which included Alpha Academy’s Akira Tozawa and Otis) and the Easter Bunny. Hendry then proceeded to sing a song about how Miz supposedly has “tiny balls” in the style of Jingle Bells. The Miz himself interrupted in anger as he marched down to the ring. Hendry said that he knows the reason why Miz was upset, it was because he wasn’t here to sing the song with everyone. Hendry then continued his song as Miz raised his hand to shut everyone up.
Miz said that he was chasing a legacy earned with pain, while Hendry was chasing choruses. And now with John Cena retired, Miz claimed he earned the right to be the locker room leader to lead WWE in the future. Miz then challenged Hendry to a match right now. GM Aldis interjected and said that this Miz vs. Hendry match would be a Miracle on 34th Street Fight.
This segment was a decent primer on who Joe Hendry is, but not sure if I approve of the whole “tiny balls Miz” bit continuing to be a thing. Honestly, just not my kind of humor.
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Miracle on 34th Street Fight: Joe Hendry vs. The Miz
The ringside area was surrouned by Christmas-themed decorations, as well as Santa Otis, Tozawa, and the Easter Bunny.
As the bell rang, Hendry went for a side headlock takeover and escaped a hold by Miz. In response, Miz kicked Hendry in the gut, but got dropped by a shoulder block. Hendry lifted Miz for a long stalling suplex, which sent his opponent rolling out of the ring. As Hendry headed out of the ring, he opened a gift and found a guitar inside it. Meanwhile, Miz pulled out a ukelele, and then a pair of small ornaments — because he supposedly has tiny balls, you see.
Hendry hip tosssed Miz into a Christmas tree as he pulled out the Slim Jim-branded table from underneath the ring, which then set up inside the ring. Miz snuck up on Hendry and tried for a roll-up pin, to no avail. Skull-Crushing Finale was countered by Hendry, who then attempted a Standing Ovation on his opponent. Miz managed to escape that move. An incensed Miz began to elbow drop a gift thrown in the ring by the Easter Bunny as we took a break in the action.
The match returned from commercial as Hendry and Miz willed themselves to get back on their feet. Hendry was first as he nailed a clothesline on the Miz before he requested Santa Otis and Tozawa to hand him the Christmas tree from ringside. With tree in hand, Hendry struck Miz as he then delivered a fallaway slam on him. Hendry then took the tree and did a fallaway slam on it that sent the tree towards Miz.
Hendry got himself hyped as he went for another Standing Ovation, Miz countered and escaped the ring as he kicked Tozawa. He took a candy cane kendo stick and struck the Easter Bunny with it before Santa Otis blocked the shot from the weapon. This opened Miz up for a kendo stick strike from Hendry. Santa Otis, Tozawa and the Easter Bunny entered the ring with Hendry as they surrounded Miz. Hendry delivered another fallaway slam as Santa Otis then hit a very festive Caterpillar on Miz. Tozawa hit the senton from the top rope on Miz following that. The Easter Bunny then unmasked to reveal it was R-Truth underneath all along. “Happy Easter!” shouted Truth as he did the Five-Knuckle Shuffle. Hendry hit Miz from behind with the guitar as he then hit Standing Ovation through the table for the victory in this match.
Joe Hendry def. The Miz via pinfall
Just a fun little match, and a perfect way to integrate Hendry into the SmackDown roster. These holiday-themed street fights are always entertaining.
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– Backstage, Carmelo Hayes was talking with Fraxiom before Ilja Dragunov interrupted and asked to speak with Hayes. Dragunov said that he enjoyed teaming up against #DIY with Hayes last week, but it eats him alive that his U.S. Title match against Hayes went the way it did a few weeks back. Dragunov said that the Open Challenge was closed because it’d be him against Hayes for the U.S. Championship. Hayes shook Dragunov’s hand as the match was set for tonight.
– Drew McIntyre was shown arriving and immediately asked about what stipulation he’d choose for his match against Cody Rhodes. McIntyre said he was tired from the flight for Scotland, but he promised that tonight, we’d have all the answers as it related for this match.
WWE SmackDown recapper. Former NXT PLE/WWE Saturday Night's Main Event/fill-in recapper.